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Throw John McCain's latest dishonest attack ad on the heap of other dishonest attack ads released by their campaign.

John McCain is running an entirely negative campaign. That's what happens when you run on the politics of the past and the failed policies of George W. Bush. He has absolutely nothing to run on. At all.

So all the McCain campaign has left are flat out, bald-faced lies.

See the Obama campaign response below:

Check out Senator Barack Obama's spot that will during the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Jake Tapper, as he puts it, "the trouble with lobbyists running your campaign."

Now, comes news that the Russian military has crossed a border into Georgia. [...]

You may already know that McCain foreign policy director Randy Scheunemann represented the former Soviet republic of Georgia as a lobbyist between 2004 and 2006.

As of March 2008, Scheunemann no longer works as a lobbyist for foreign entities, but he remains a principal at his lobbying firm, which still has Georgia as a client.

Awkward!

Chat away...

Today ABC News suggested that Senator Barack Obama has more support from Big Oil than Senator McCain. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"Let there be no mistake, the oil and gas industry knows that Exxon-McCain is the ticket to four more years of record profits and skyrocketing energy costs," said Exxon-McCain 08 spokesman Damien LaVera. "Our political opponents can try to muddy the waters if they want, but Big Oil has steered more than $2 million to the Exxon-McCain 08 campaign for a reason. John McCain's promise of more of the same reckless giveaways and tax breaks for Big Oil and obstruction of alternatives to oil is exactly what Big Oil is looking for, which is why Exxon-McCain is their ticket this November."

Oil Trader Funneled Campaign Contributions to McCain. But the man who gathered checks from them is no stranger to McCain -- he shuttled the Republican on his private plane and held a fundraising event for the candidate at his house in Delray Beach, Fla. Harry Sargeant III, a former naval officer and the owner of an oil-trading company that recently inked defense contracts potentially worth more than $1 billion, is the archetype of a modern presidential money man. The law forbids high-level supporters from writing huge checks, but with help from friends in the Middle East and the former chief of the CIA's bin Laden unit -- who now serves as a consultant to his company -- Sargeant has raised more than $100,000 for three presidential candidates from a collection of ordinary people, several of whom professed little interest in the outcome of the election.

McCain Received Almost $55,000 in Contributions from Exxon Employees and Exxon's PAC. McCain received $54,336 in contributions from Exxon Mobil employees and its PAC. [Political Moneyline, Accessed: 8/5/08]

McCain Has Raised More Than $2.1 Million From The Oil And Gas Industry, Including More Than $1.1 Million In The Month Of June. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, John McCain received $1,039,768 in contributions from the oil and gas industry between January 2007 and May 2008 - a figure which dwarfs any other presidential candidates' oil industry money. In addition, the Washington Post reported that "campaign contributions from oil industry executives to Sen. John McCain rose dramatically in the last half of June, after the senator from Arizona made a high-profile split with environmentalists and reversed his opposition to the federal ban on offshore drilling." According to the Post's analysis, oil and gas industry executives and employees contributed $1.1 million to McCain and the Republican National Committee's Victory Fund in June - $882,950 of which were donated after McCain's June 16th announcement that he supported ending the moratorium on offshore drilling. These contributions, when combined with the $1.03 million raised by McCain prior to the month of June, indicated that he has raised more than $2.1 million from the oil and gas industry. [Center for Responsive Politics website, "Selected Industry Totals to Candidates," accessed 7/31/08; Washington Post, 7/27/08; "Oil Flow," WashingtonPost.com graphic, accessed 8/3/08]

Chat away...

89. Supporting Unfair Trade Deals

On Trade, Bush and McCain Support the Corporate Interests and the Unfair Trade Deals They Support, at the Expense of Working Americans.

BUSH:

Bush: "Walling Off America From World Trade Would Be A Disaster For Our Economy." During a speech on Wall Street, President Bush said, "I know there's going to be a vigorous debate on trade, and bashing trade can make for good sound bites on the evening news. But walling off America from world trade would be a disaster for our economy. Congress needs to reject protectionism and to keep this economy open to the tremendous opportunities that the world has to offer. [Economic Speech in New York City, 1/31/07; Public Papers of the Presidents]

MCCAIN:

McCain Advocated Free Trade, Criticized "Hid[ing] Behind Walls." John McCain said, "Opening new markets for American goods and services is indispensable to our future prosperity. We can compete with anyone. Senators Obama and Clinton think we should hide behind walls, bury our heads and industries in the sand, and hope we have enough left to live on while the world passes us by. But that is not good policy and it is not good leadership. And the short-sightedness of these policies can be seen today in Congress' refusal to vote on the Colombian Free Trade Agreement. When new trading partners can sell in our market, and American companies can sell in theirs, the gains are great and they are lasting. The strength of the American economy offers a better life to every society we trade with, and the good comes back to us in many ways -- in better jobs, higher wages, and lower prices." [McCain Remarks on the Economy at Carnegie Melon University, 4/15/08]

REALITY:

McCain Predicted 316,000 New Jobs in 1993. Similarly, the NAFTA could result in the creation of 316,000 new jobs in this country, as well as tens of thousands of jobs in my home State of Arizona, in addition to adding considerably to overall economic output in Arizona, the United States and Mexico. President Clinton says that we must have safeguards to protect our workers and the environment. I agree that it is important that we negotiate these side agreements, but they should not forestall moving forward on the underlying agreement. [Congressional Record, 2/18/1993]

NAFTA Net Displacement Was One Million Workers. A 2006 Economic Policy Institute study found that NAFTA had displaced just over 1 million jobs in this country, and net job loss of 16,000 in Arizona. [Scott, Salas & Campbell, Revisiting NAFTA, 9/28/2006; http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/bp173 ]

We released this video on how the John McCain of today isn't anything like the John McCain of eight years ago.

The Democratic National Committee today released a new video called "Maverick No More" in response to John McCain's "Praising McCain" video. To view the video, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBsRbMimtlA

Earlier today, DNC Chairman Howard Dean released the following statement:

"John McCain a maverick? The John McCain of 2000 wouldn't even consider voting for the John McCain of 2008. The American people are learning that the John McCain of 2008 represents more of the same failed policies we've gotten from George Bush for the past eight years. Senator McCain is clearly in the tank for Exxon and big oil, for keeping our troops stuck in Iraq for decades to come, and for an economic policy that puts tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations above relief for hardworking families. John McCain has changed: he's taken the low road, leveling false, negative and misleading attacks against Barack Obama. John McCain is no more a maverick within the Republican Party than Dick Cheney is. He's just more of the same."

The following is the script of "Maverick No More:"

TEXT: John McCain ...Maverick No More.

Senator Joe Biden: "But stylistically and substantively, there is no daylight between George Bush and John McCain. They are joined at the hip."

Senator John Kerry: "John McCain has changed in profound and fundamental ways that I find personally really surprising, and frankly upsetting. He is not the John McCain as a senator who defined himself quote as a 'maverick' though questionable. This is a different John McCain."

Senator Tom Daschle: "On Iraq, on the economy, on tax policy, on domestic policy, across the board. He is espousing the Bush policies. He's changed a lot since 2001."

Senator Hillary Clinton: "But in the end, after eight devastating years under President Bush, Senator McCain is simply offering four years more."

DNC Chairman Howard Dean: "You know, the John McCain of 2000 wouldn't' vote for this John McCain. We don't need another four years of George Bush. What he's proposing is four more years of George Bush's economic policy and its ridiculous and its unfair the American people."

TEXT: Let's Let President Bush Have the Final Say

President Bush: "Its been my honor to welcome my friend John McCain as the nominee of the Republican Party… I wish you all the best. I'm proud to be your friend."

TEXT: We Can't Afford Another Four Years of the Same Old Politics.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean last night announced the appointment of four Co-Chairs for the DNC's South Asian American Leadership Council.

Parag Saxena of Rye, NY, Romita Shetty of New York, NY, Dilawar Syed of Palo Alto, CA, and Kashif Zafar of Scarsdale, NY will serve as National Co-Chairs for the Council. All four have been appointed by Governor Dean to lead the Council through the 2008 election cycle.

The Council will lead the Party's efforts to recognize the loyalty, dedication, and generous contributions of the South Asian American community to the Democratic Party, and to provide a platform for political engagement and a forum for the exchange of ideas for South Asian American Democrats.

During a briefing at the Sundaram Tagore Gallery in New York City on Wednesday, Governor Dean praised the community for engaging voters who descend from the seven nations of the Asian subcontinent including Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. Collectively, there are more than 3 million South Asian Americans living in the U.S.

"To a casual observer it probably seems odd that we lump together these extraordinarily diverse and complex communities into one council," said Dean. "However, what draws you together - and what I hope makes you Democrats - is the shared experiences of coming to this country, building your families and passing on a better life for the next generation."

Joining Governor Dean was former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Wendy Chamberlin who serves as a foreign policy advisor to Senator Obama's campaign and Co-Chairs of the SAALC.

"Each of these individuals are deeply committed to ensuring that the rapidly growing South Asian American communities are engaged and participating in this year's historic elections," said Dean.

Brief Bios of New DNC South Asian American Leadership Council Co-Chairs:

Parag Saxena is Co-Founder and CEO of Vedanta Capital & New Silk Route Investors and former CEO of INVESCO Private Capital, where he was one of the largest global venture capital and private equity managers. He is a seasoned venture capitalist with over 25 years experience and has been listed on Forbes' annual Midas List of the world's top venture investors. He has been the President of TIE -TriState since 2003 and is a Vice Chairman of the UN Financing for Development Committee. Parag is a co-founder and member of the executive committee of South Asian American Forum. He was a Co-Chair of South Asians for Kerry in 2004 and currently serves as a Regional Co-Chair of the Obama campaign's Asian American Finance Committee.

Romita Shetty is an investment banker based in New York. She is active in a number of non-profits focused on women's rights and is a co-founder of Sakhi for South Asian Women, a ground breaking organization committed to ending violence against women of South Asian origin. She is also a board member of CREA, an international women's human rights organization based in India focused on enhancing women's leadership to better access their rights. Romita is on the executive committee of the South Asian American Forum. She currently serves as a National Co-Chair of the Obama campaign's Asian- American Finance Committee.

Dilawar Syed is a Senior Director at Yahoo!, having led platform strategy and business operations in the Company's technology organization. He is a Charter Member and President of OPEN-Silicon Valley (Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs of North America). Dilawar is a Regional Co-Chair of the Obama campaign's Asian American Finance Committee.

Kashif Zafar is an investment banker based in New York. He serves on the Board of International House in New York and is an Associate Partner of Acumen Fund, a philanthropic organization which provides venture capital funding for projects aimed at creating market solutions to the problems of global poverty. Kashif is a co-founder and member of the executive committee of the South Asian American Forum. He was a Co-Chair of South Asians for Kerry in 2004. Kashif currently serves as a Regional Co-Chair of the Obama campaign's Asian American Finance Committee.